


San Boulevard

by cellomanlove



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:33:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29432490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cellomanlove/pseuds/cellomanlove
Summary: Here is my take on combining the Tattoo parlor, Cafe AU, and Flower shops tropes.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou/Kuroo Tetsurou
Comments: 11
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JonJackTheBoi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JonJackTheBoi/gifts).



> Hello!  
> This is my gift for JonJackTheBoi for the Hqvalentineexchange on tumblr :)
> 
> It's been almost 10 years since I've written a serious fanfic and really had a lot of fun with this one :)  
> The prompt I'm loosely following from their request is "decorating," but I was really inspired by their idea of combining powerful tropes!  
> I hope you enjoy the fic!!!

It was a hot, summer day in late July and people were entering various shops quickly to escape the heat and humidity while out shopping on a street named San Boulevard. The boulevard was a few blocks long with the occasional side street that offered more spaces for shops and restaurants. About halfway down the street, calming music wafted out the door of the small tattoo shop titled “Sowl Ink.”

The parlor was well lit and clean with walls tastefully filled with framed designs ranging from simple, colorful flowers to detailed animal art.

Empty chairs lined the waiting area and a fan gently rotated, to combat the heat, while papers precariously balanced on the front desk. With every turn of the fan, the pen holding them in place moved closer to the edge.

Akaashi Keiji was seated, hunched over his client’s arm, slowly and precisely following the line of his sketch with his needle. The tattoo was planned to be a butterfly in flight that the customer had requested in bright oranges and reds with a small flower behind it.

“It’s for my transformation,” the woman had stated (although, Akaashi never asked).  
  
Art had always been his passion, but it was too quickly becoming his livelihood. Although he enjoyed designing tattoos, he could not afford to be too picky in this economy. He had just opened his shop the year previously and was barely making ends meet. He was lucky enough the location had an apartment above the shop so he didn’t need to search elsewhere for living arrangements.   


Finishing the final outline, he sat up to switch his needle and stretch out his back while the client gushed about the insect. He turned to change out the color he was using when the door chime indicated someone had entered the store.  
  
“Akaaaaaaashiiiii,” shouted a familiar voice. Akaashi lifted his head to greet his visitor, overtaken by the aromatic smell of freshly cut flowers as the fan rotated his way.  
  
“Bokuto, I told you it wasn’t necessary to bring a fresh bouquet every week,” he smiled politely at his friend.   
  
Bokuto was a tall man with broad shoulders and well toned arms (although, Akaashi was not quite ready to tell him that). His hair was white with black streaks and was gelled up in a gravity defying hair style.  
  
He was carefully placing a vase on the shelf behind his desk causing his shirt sleeves to fall and exposing the small owl tattoo Akaashi had designed for him. He adjusted the beautiful arrangement and then stepped back to admire his handiwork nodding along with his inner monologue.  
  
“Bokuto,” Akaashi called again.   
  
The man turned to him and grinned. “It’s the least I can do for you! After all, you gave me too big of a discount when you worked on Mr. Hoot!” He lifted his sleeve to expose the owl tattoo again.   
  
“What a fantastic tattoo!” exclaimed his client as she ushered him to come closer. Bokuto could hardly refuse and showed off the happily dubbed “Mr. Hoot'' while telling the woman how gentle Akaashi’s hands were while he worked on the tattoo knowing it was Bokuto’s first.   
  
Akaashi smiled softly. It was one of his favorites: a great horned owl which almost perfectly matched his friend’s hair style. He remembered the day Bokuto came into his shop to excitedly ask about getting a tattoo. He had only been open for about a month at the time and had started to wonder if he had picked the right location as business was slow. After they had discussed Bokuto’s idea, the man had invited him out for a drink which he readily accepted. It was easy to get along with Bokuto and he quickly made a new friend that night.  
  
Bokuto ran the flower shop across the street and was well known in the shopping district as an optimistic man who was always willing to help anyone who asked. If the boys who ran the comic and game shop asked for help building a shelf, then Bokuto was there to do all the heavy lifting. When the window broke at the bath shop, Bokuto was there to keep the culprit safe from the owner’s anger.  
  
The flower shop itself was simply called “FLOWERS” and had a large neon sign above the door in bright red, glaring colors. On the outside, it was a rather shady looking establishment, but the arrangements Bokuto created were the best in the city. He was almost always chipper and excitable despite being busy 99% of the time. No one would ever expect that he was very easily upset.  
  
Very few people knew of the man’s “weaknesses” as Akaashi had named them the first time he experienced one. Any small situation not going as planned could set Bokuto into a downward spiral. Whether one of his favorite roses started to wilt or he forgot to add the baby’s breath to one of his arrangements, he would quickly lose his confidence. Ever since that first night out, he had started running across the street to Akaashi’s shop for support whenever he was upset. Akaashi had just assumed he didn’t have many close friends at the time.  
  
“And then Kuroo said----” Akaashi was pulled out of his thoughts once he realized Bokuto was starting to get into a long story. He only had another half hour scheduled with his client and still had work to do.   
  
“Bokuto, do you have any more deliveries today? I’d like to finish the base colors for Ms. Ito’s tattoo before it’s too late,” he said as gently as he could. “I’m sure your Kuroo story can wait for the next time. There will be plenty more opportunities to talk when you see her again and I bet she’ll stop by your flower shop in the future.”  
  
“Oho! You’re right, Akaashi!” he jumped back up from his forward leaning position. “I hope you stop by soon, Ms. Ito!” He turned to Akaashi, “You’ll meet us for dinner later, right? Every Friday night, remember?!”  
  
“Yes, I’ll meet you at Kuroo’s cafe when I’m finished cleaning up,” he smiled.    
  
Bokuto and the woman exchanged their good-byes and, as quickly as he appeared, he was out the door and shouting more greetings to passersby. Akaashi apologized for the interruption and went back to work. 

\------

When Akaashi was finally finished with his old lease, and was able to move into the apartment above his shop, Bokuto had already decided to adopt him. As soon as he was moving into his apartment, the florist had run over to offer his assistance. When he found out that Akaashi didn’t have any other acquaintances or family in the area, Bokuto had called over his “best bro” Kuroo to help with the heavy lifting.  
  
Kuroo was a tall man with messy black hair. He so often seemed to have a secretive smirk on his face that Akaashi was almost afraid to ask at times. The day after helping the artist move in, Kuroo insisted on giving him a tour of the shop filled street. He seemed to know everyone who worked there and almost everyone who shopped there. The artist quickly discovered he ran the cafe on the corner of the main cross street right when you were turning onto San Boulevard.  
  
“It’s the perfect location to people-watch!” he had exclaimed. Kuroo didn’t just know everyone by name. He also knew where they worked, if they had children, if they were having relationship problems, or even if they harbored a secret crush (“It’s a secret, Akaashi! I can’t tell you!”).  
  
The restaurant was named “One Blood Cafe,” which Akaashi thought was rather strange for a small sandwich shop. When he asked Bokuto about it, he told him Kuroo used to play sports with his childhood friend and gave a speech about blood before every match (“He’s sort of a nerd, you see,” Bokuto had said). The man’s friend told Kuroo a cafe with “blood” in the name sounded like a vampire lair in a video game which made Kuroo want to use the word even more (if only to spite them).  
  
Since the two friends had inserted him into their group, they decided it was best to enjoy dinner together each Friday night. Akaashi put up a fight initially, but was quickly shot down when Bokuto showed up to his shop at closing time every day until he agreed to come.  
  
After sanitizing all his tools and double checking everything was locked up, he grabbed his keys and headed out to the street. He locked the door and turned to check and see if Bokuto was still fussing over his flowers. When it became obvious that the man had closed early, Akaashi started walking down the street and towards the cafe. There was a slight breeze in the air which was welcoming after the long, hot day and he was hoping it would rain soon and put an end to the heat wave  
  
He entered the cafe with a little jingle of the bells above the door and searched out his friends. The cafe had a welcoming presence with soft, social corners filled with comfy chairs and pillows (not at all what you would expect in a vampire lair). Well spaced tables were scattered around the main area of the room and a chalkboard of the daily specials was leaning against the wall.  
  
Kuroo was wiping down the counter while Bokuto appeared to be reading a pamphlet which they were discussing more seriously than he would have expected for a Friday night.  
  
“I’m telling you, Bo, these guys are bad business! I don’t care if Hinata is friends with one of them,” the black haired man slapped down his towel.  
  
“I don’t know, man. Hinata is a pretty good judge of character. I don’t think they’d go this far,” Bokuto countered.  
  
“‘Good judge of character?’ Have you forgotten that angry Kageyama guy he hangs out with? He’s got weird taste, man. Weird!” Kuroo emphasized the last word.  
  
“He hangs out with Kenma, too."  
  
“Yeah, well---”  
  
“Good evening,” he interrupted and turned to lock the door and turn off the open sign.  
  
“Akaashi, tell Bokuto his disciple, Hinata, is not all knowing!” Bokuto squawked indignantly.  
  
“I’m sure Bokuto has a reason for believing in Hinata,” Akaashi replied and walked over to sit by the florist. “Is there a reason for this fight or is it one of the ones I choose to ignore?”  
  
“You should never ignore your friends when they’re fighting, ‘Kaashi,” Bokuto pouted as he passed over the pamphlet.

It was a simple pamphlet with “DATE CO.” in big letters on the top of a detailed wall logo. The pamphlet showed plans for a new shopping mall that would be erected in the area. It looked like they planned to start construction in the fall and were giving notice to the shop owners on the street that they would be stopping by regarding compensation.  
  
Akaashi stopped and read the last part again. “Compensation? Are they planning to build the mall where all our shops are?” he questioned and turned over the pamphlet to see if there was more info.  
  
“Yes! Those jerks over at Date Co. think they can just put up a wall anywhere,” grumbled Kuroo as he leaned his tall body over the edge of the counter.  
  
“They did the same thing on the other side of town over by Tsukki’s second shop. He was furious, but luckily able to rent one of the spaces inside. Still, it made repairing that window more of a monetary problem when Hinata threw the rock at it,” Kuroo grinned at Bokuto. Ah, ever the instigator.  
  
“In his defense, Hinata thought it was small enough to bounce off. He was just trying to get his attention to see if they were still open. Kenma wanted those fancy bath salts they like!” Bokuto said matter of factly.  
  
“He should have knocked.”  
  
“Akaaaashiiiiiii!”  
  
Akaashi cleared his throat. “What happened to the other shops across town?”  
  
Kuroo explained that each of those shops were offered a small sum to sell their location for demolition. They were given about a month to decide if they would take the sum or be forced out by law according to Date Co.. They said the tax dollars were paying for a mall and a mall would go up regardless of the cooperation of the small businesses.  
  
“Just because revenue has been down doesn’t mean we don’t still have customers,” he turned to grab a few soup bowls to fill with the warm liquid. He brought the soup over to one of the tables so the trio could eat while they conversed.  
  
Akaashi picked up his spoon and blew on the soup before taking a bite. He didn’t particularly like the idea of being forced out of his shop and home so a few big name stores could take over. He was finally starting to build a customer base and hoped the next year would be more profitable for him. Finding a new location would quickly use up most, if not all, of his savings. Lost in thought, he almost missed the small brush of a foot against his leg. He looked over at Kuroo who was watching him with a strange look.  
  
“Didn’t you say you painted as a hobby?” he asked.  
  
“Yes, occasionally when I have time to spare and I’m not babysitting you two,” Akaashi said with a raised eyebrow..  
  
“I’ll ignore that this time. You’re really good at painting, Akaashi! Just like your tattoos, your art always has this...I don’t know… life to them, you know?!” Bokuto grinned and wiped the extra broth off his chin with the back of his hand.  
  
“I suppose.” He looked away towards the window. Small sprinkles of rain had started to fall and he saw a few couples pick up their pace to hopefully make it back to their cars before it started to get worse. He probably should have grabbed an umbrella.  
  
“You know,” Kuroo started, “There’s that big wall at the end of the street by the small playground.”  
  
Bokuto nodded and rubbed his chin with his fingers as though he was thinking really hard. “Yes, I think that would do nicely, Kuroo.”  
  
“And I bet a really cool piece of art there might make them reconsider tearing down everyone’s shops.” Kuroo smirked lightly.  
  
Akaashi sighed. “What are you two planning?”  
  
“A festival!” they shouted in unison.  
  
“We already figured it all out, ‘Kaashi,” Bokuto grinned. “You’ll paint a beautiful mural and we’ll throw a festival to celebrate summer! I’ll supply the best flowers, of course, and Kuroo will make sure everyone puts up a booth for the people who come to enjoy. I bet Hinata and Kenma could do something really fun with their comics and games and Kuroo makes the best little sandwiches.”  
  
“We could ask some outside vendor friends to help as well,” Kuroo added. “Plenty of people shop here and would want to keep the close, welcoming atmosphere.”   
  
“......I’ve never painted a mural.”   
  
“We believe in you, Akaashi!!!”


	2. Chapter Two

Akaashi barely saw Bokuto or Kuroo at all the next week. Occasionally, the florist would pop his head in his door during the work day for a quick “hello,” but never stayed long. They didn’t ask him about the mural again and he didn’t hear any whispers from his clients about a planned festival. It seemed like the whole conversation was a weird dream if not for the Date Co. pamphlet sitting on his desk that he’d received a day after Kuroo had.  
  
By the time Friday rolled around, he wasn’t even sure if their usual dinner plans were still on or if he’d find an empty cafe. Regardless, he figured he’d stop by after placing his inventory order. The door opened with a bang, surprising the artist and causing him to quickly look towards the door. His two missing friends were standing there out of breath.  
  
“What are you two--?”  
  
Bokuto recovered quicker. “Time to go, Akaashi! We have something to show you!”  
  
“I’m still finishing up my order,” he deadpanned. “I’m sure this can wait until I’ve at least finished that. Please,” and now he gestured to the empty chairs near the front of his shop, “take a seat and relax for a little while. You look like you ran here.”  
  
The two men sighed dramatically and collapsed near in unison onto the chairs. Akaashi waited until they were settled before continuing his final counts and placing the order on the computer. He took his time closing the register and books and made sure all the doors and cabinets were locked despite the fact that by this point both Bokuto and Kuroo were nearly vibrating in their seats.

“Well, I believe it’s about time we headed out,” he smiled at them as they both jumped up.  
  
With a ‘whoop,’ Bokuto rushed over to grab his hand and drag him out of the store. Kuroo grabbed his keys as they rushed past and locked the door behind them.  
  
The sun was starting to set and the sky was full of beautiful hues of purple and pink. Akaashi tried to take it all in as the larger man kept a firm grip on his hand while they headed towards the playground at the end of the street.  
  
It was a smaller play area, but it gave the parents who brought their children shopping a nice area to give them some space to run around and have fun. During the daylight hours, there would be small children begging to slide or play on the see-saw. As it was later in the day, there were only a few middle school students hanging around the swings and posing excitedly while they talked.  
  
The newest addition that Akaashi saw as soon as he turned away from the dabbing twelve year olds was a red scaffolding stationed just in front of a large wall across from the benches. He was suddenly thrust back into the memory from last Friday when Bokuto and Kuroo tried to convince him he’d be able to paint a mural in just a few weeks. The wall was smaller than expected, but still quite a large undertaking. He let go of Bokuto’s hand and took a few steps closer.  
  
“With the scaffolding, we can drape some tarps over the edge to cover most of the piece while you work,” Kuroo said matter of factly as though he’d already planned out the entire festival project.  
  
Akaashi felt a bit overwhelmed. He knew the two cared deeply about their customers, and the friends they’d made while working on this street, but he wasn’t sure how much time he’d be able to invest in this sort of project with such a short amount of time. He wasn’t entirely sure what would be a fitting painting to add to one of the busier parts of the neighborhood.  
  
Just as he turned to try and reason with them again, his heart skipped a beat. The sun was setting just beyond Bokuto and Kuroo and casting a beautiful shadow down the small shops littering the streets. The light left a soft glow behind the two men while one smirked and the other tilted his head owlishly.  
  
“You’re not angry, are you ‘Kaashi,” Bokuto started and hesitantly looked over his face for any sign of irritation.  
  
“No…” he said breathlessly, “but I think I’ve decided what to paint.”  
  
“Hey hey hey! Akaashi is finally on board!!” Bokuto pumped his fist in the air as his hesitancy disappeared and jumped closer so he could throw an arm around the artist. “Anything you need. Just name it and we’ll help you out!”  
  
“Dinner would be a good start,” Akaashi laughed quietly as Bokuto’s stomach growled loudly. “Let’s head back to my apartment and order some take out.”

\--------

The next day, Akaashi found time between clients to work out his initial sketch for the mural and order supplies. On top of ordering as much paint as he thought he would possibly need, he added a large light to the order assuming he would be working into the night hours. With not much time to finish the mural, he wanted to be as prepared as he could before starting production.It was later in the afternoon, when Kuroo stopped by with a sandwich and a few plans for the booths and tables he wanted to set up for the event.  
  
“I’m hoping most of the shop owners will want to join in,” he said as he showed Akaashi his planned layout. “I’ve talked to a few of my neighbors and they’re excited about the possibility of pulling in more customers, but wanted to have more of a plan before tackling the difficult guys.”   
  
“I think this looks like a good set up,” Akaashi handed back his sheet of paper. “Have you talked to any outside vendors or food trucks yet to see if they want to stop by? I think we should have as many options as we can so the attendees will want to shop around.”  
  
“Not yet, but I will after talking to the rest of the shops tomorrow. I know it’s your light schedule day. Do you think you can help me out with the last couple?”  
  
Akaashi reluctantly agreed and looked up as the door opened and two people he had not seen before walked in. The first man who walked in had brown hair and a sort of disrespectful air about him. It seemed as though he would easily try to provoke and start a fight with you in a conversation. Behind him was a tall and wide man with no eyebrows. Every inch of him screamed intimidation from the broad shoulders to his furrowed, hairless brow.  
  
“Good afternoon, how can I help you?” He greeted them.  
  
The first man spoke, “My name is Futakuchi Kenji and this is my partner, Takanobu Aone. We’re here from Date Co. to talk with you about our compensation package for buying this building.” He looked around the well lit parlor as though trying to see the space without its walls. “As I’m sure you’re well aware from our pamphlet, this area will be bought and turned into a new and exciting shopping mall for the city.”  
  
Kuroo stood up and placed his hand on the small of Akaashi’s back as if to keep him close. “Oh, yeah. We’ve heard of you all right and kindly ask you to leave.”

“Mr. Kuroo, we have already spoken late last week and are here only to speak with,” at this point he opened up a notepad, “Mr. Akaashi.” He turned to look solely at the artist. “Is the apartment upstairs occupied? If so, you’ll need to let your tennant know they will need to find other arrangements. We’re happy to help locate suitable living conditions until they can find a new place.”  
  
Akaashi narrowed his eyes and looked over the two men, trying to gauge the best way to handle this situation as well as take time to collect his thoughts. He could sense the hostility from Kuroo and didn’t want to cause a scene which may irrevocably ruin their chances at saving the other shops.  
  
“I happen to own and live in the apartment upstairs and don’t appreciate such short notice on a request to find a new space,” he said in a calming voice. “As I’m sure Mr. Kuroo has informed you, we have no intention of handing over our shops and livelihoods to a mall full of chain and brand name stores. Many of our customers agree as well and would rather you not tear down our walls.” He felt Kuroo’s grip tighten in support.  
  
The brown haired man let out a deep sigh. “No matter what you two are planning with that crazy florist, it will not work. Date Co. will be demolishing this area and constructing the new building whether you agree or not. Aone, will you please hand our information packet to this fine...artist...so we can be on our way?”  
  
The intimidating man stepped closer and held out a manila folder for Akaashi to take. Kuroo snagged it first and tossed it carelessly on the desk. “We’ll make you eat those words,” he nearly snarled.  
  
Futakuchi ignored Kuroo’s biting remark and simply replied, “Have an excellent evening. We look forward to hearing from you.” The two turned around and left the store. They headed further down the street, more than likely to bother the next stop on their list.  
  
Kuroo let out an irritated growl and ran his fingers through his messy hair. “Can you believe the audacity?” Akaashi nodded in agreement.


	3. Chapter Three

Akaashi always scheduled a half day for himself on Wednesdays. It gave him a chance to shop for groceries, run errands, or take some extra time to clean his shop. With the festival plan starting to take off, he’d be spending most of his free time working on his painting. Due to the rush, he was already regretting agreeing to help Kuroo talk to some of the more difficult owners today. He closed up shop and walked down the street towards his friend’s cafe and hoped to at least grab a sandwich before they headed out. Per usual, the cafe was at its busiest around lunch time and it took some extra effort to slip past the crowd towards the back and Kuroo’s office.  
  
The office was small with a desk protruding from one side and framed pictures hung on the wall. He tried not to read too far into the picture of himself, Bokuto, and the restaurant owner. As crazy as Kuroo’s hair looked, his office was almost pristine with desk organizers and locked cabinets on the opposite side of his desk.   
  
The man was bent over a book with numbers and occasionally typing something into a calculator. Akaashi sat down in one of the chairs across from him and waited patiently. It wasn’t until after he inputted the information into his computer that he looked up and jumped.  
  
“Holy---Akaashi, you should have told me you were here!” he put his hand over his heart dramatically before switching to a conniving expression. “Unless you were here to stare at me. I never took you for a pervert. Bokuto will not be pleased. We’ve got a bet going, you see.”  
  
Akaashi sighed and ignored the man’s comments. “You said you wanted to meet with a few people this afternoon, remember?” Kuroo nodded. “Are you sure it’s a good idea leaving the restaurant while it’s so busy?”   
  
“Ah, Tora can handle the rush today,” Kuroo stood up and stretched. “Let’s go grab Bo and we’ll be on our way!”  
  
Akaashi stood up as well and went to open the door for them. “You should have told me he was coming, I would have picked him up on the way over.”  
  
“Now I feel like I’m losing,” he said while leading the artist out of his office. He quickly grabbed a few sandwiches they could eat on the way while waving to his assistant manager and expertly led the two of them through the crowd.“He had some arrangements to finish up so I figured he could use the extra time. You know how particular he can get.”

\-------

The bells above the door of Bokuto’s flower shop jingled happily as the two men entered. The walls were lined with flowers of all different colors and varieties. On the back wall, there was a case with already pre-made and pre-ordered arrangements on display. Gentle pop music wafted throughout the shop from speakers near the ceiling. Akaashi looked around, but did not see the owner anywhere in view.  
  
“He must be in the back room working,” Kuroo said and led the way towards a door behind the register.   
  
Akaashi followed slightly behind. As much as his two friends seemed to have no sense of personal space, something seemed off about Bokuto’s lack of presence and Akaashi didn’t want to surprise the man if he was busy (or worse). He thought back to the morning and realized didn’t recall seeing the man leave his shop. Usually he’d be bustling about and greeting everyone he saw passing by.  
  
When they entered the room, they were greeted by Bokuto sitting next to an arrangement with his head resting face first on the table. The arrangement looked nearly complete, but the ribbons and wrapping lay untouched to the right of the man. Kuroo stopped short of reaching him and waited for Akaashi to catch up. He glanced at the artist and tilted his head towards their friend.  
  
Akaashi sighed and cleared his throat. “Bokuto, is everything all right?” He tried to keep his tone calm and inviting.  
  
“Akaashi…? Is that you?” He lifted his head just enough to glance over at them and sighed before dropping his head back down to the table. “I’m quitting being a florist, Akaashi. Everything I create is terrible,” he moaned.   
  
Ah, Bokuto’s weakness number 49. If he’s unhappy with his work, he will lose all confidence and want to quit.  
  
“What are you talking about, Bokuto?” Akaashi asked as he walked over to the man and fluffed up some of the flowers in the arrangement. “The flowers look beautiful as always,” he smiled encouragingly and glanced back at Kuroo. The restaurant owner gave him a thumbs up. Clearly, the other man had no intention of helping today.  
  
“But the yellow one!” he exclaimed, lifting himself into an upright position so he could gesture at the vase. “They specifically wanted yellow, but this one flower is sticking out like a sore thumb!”  
  
“Hmmm,” Akaashi stroked his chin. “You do have quite a bit of yellow in the arrangement already. What if you switch it with one of the more orange flowers and see if a change of color or shape helps?”  
  
Bokuto grunted and crossed his arms. He stared at the arrangement for a second before getting up and heading back into the shop.   
  
“Keep it up,” whispered Kuroo with a wink. Akaashi rolled his eyes.  
  
The florist returned with a few different options and, after switching it out two or three times, let out a big laugh. He quickly tied a few ribbons and bows to the vase and covered it gently before stapling the order form to the outside of the paper covering.   
  
“Well done, Bokuto,” Akaashi smiled.  
  
“Way to go, bro!” Kuroo smirked. The artist was not quite sure if his response was intended for himself or the florist.  
  
“All thanks to you, Akaashi,” Bokuto smiled and picked up the discarded yellow flower. He snipped the stem shorter and placed it behind Akaashi’s ear leaving the shorter man with a splash of red forming across his cheeks.  
  
Kuroo cleared his throat loudly. “If you two are done flirting, I believe we have about fifteen minutes before the salty bath shop owner goes on break,” he said while looking at his watch.  
  
“You’re just jealous because Akaashi is prettier than you!” Bokuto said and pounced on Kuroo so he could add a flower behind his ear as well. Kuroo tried to dance away, but Bokuto was faster. He wrapped his arm around him and secured the red flower in place.  
  
Kuroo pushed him off and tried to cover up his own small blush. “Are you finished assaulting me?”  
  
Bokuto just laughed and picked up the finished arrangement. He led the way back into the main shop and placed it in his case. Once everything was locked up properly, the trio headed out onto the street so they could head to Tsukishima’s bath shop.

\--------

Tsukishima’s shop was inviting and colorful and everything the owner was not. If his best friend, Yamaguchi, wasn’t working with him, Akaashi would not be surprised if the customers would be afraid of getting more than just a snide remark with their order.  
  
Yamaguchi smiled and waved as the small chime rang out when they entered the shop while ignoring the “we’ll be back” sign posted on the door.  
  
“What brings you three to this part of the boulevard at lunch?” He asked jovially.  
  
“Here to talk to the boss-man,” Kuroo smirked while Yamaguchi gave a small chuckle.  
  
“He’s in a mood today,” he whispered loudly.  
  
“I can hear you, Yamaguchi,” a tall, blonde man grumbled as he left the back office. He narrowed his eyes at the smirking Kuroo and now whistling Bokuto. He gave them a once over and raised his eyebrow at the two flowers. “I’m not signing up for your festival.”  
  
“Ahhhh, Tsukki, you have to!”  
  
“It’s  _ Tsukishima _ ,” he responded without missing a beat, “and I don’t have to do anything.” He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. “This is a half-assed plan that you’re hoping to turn into a hail mary.”  
  
“It will work, Tsukki!” Bokuto put his hand on Kuroo’s shoulder in support while Tsukishima gave him an irritated look at the nickname. “We’re working really hard to make sure everyone is on board so we can put on the best festival our customers have ever seen!”  
  
“You know,” Tsukishima acted as though he wasn’t listening, “the compensation package that Date Co. is offering is quite generous this time.”  
  
“Last time, you said you had to use that compensation just to open up a new shop in their mall. It set you back, Tsukki!” Another eye roll followed Kuroo’s statement.  
  
“At least I have multiple shops open. I’m much further ahead now with the three locations.”  
  
“Tsukki, if we help with the festival we can try and sell some overstock as gift sets instead of adding them to the location Akiteru is running. I know you like giving him the more difficult items to sell, but it would probably be quicker this way.” Yamaguchi grinned from behind the counter giving the trio the opening they were looking for.  
  
“Shut up, Yamaguchi.”  
  
“Sorry, Tsukki!”  
  
“It sounds like you’d like to set up a booth then,” Akaashi said while keeping his face steady. “Do you have any requests on location?”  
  
“I never said I was---”  
  
“Great!! We’ll put you next to Kenma and Hinata’s booth then!” Kuroo laughed.  
  
“Don’t you DARE put me next to Hinata!----”  
  
“Can’t hear you over the sound of us winning,” Bokuto high-fived Kuroo. “We’ll see you in a few weeks to help set up booths!” The two quickly left the shop.  
  
“Akaashi, do something!”  
  
Akaashi shrugged and gave him a small half smile. “You know you were going to say yes anyway. You just like making those two work for it.” He nodded his thanks to Yamaguchi and said, “Thank you for your help,” before following his friends.  
  
Once outside the trio heading a few shops down to a loud store front with bright, flashing lights. Video games music blared out from within the open door and a man sat behind the register counter with their feet propped up and long hair pulled into a messy ponytail. They didn’t look up or acknowledge the trio’s presence in any other way when they entered the shop. In their hand they were clicking away on a handheld game console. If Akaashi didn’t know any better, he would assume the man didn’t hear them come in.  
  
“Kenma! How do you plan on running a store if you never greet your customers?” Kuroo’s tone sounded like a disappointed parent. With a few long strides he was hovering over the man.  
  
“It’s just you, Kuroo, there’s no need for a greeting.”   
  
Kuroo sputtered. “Just me?! Bokuto and Akaashi are here, too!”  
  
Kenma shrugged indicating they would have reacted the same way regardless of who was entering the shop.   
  
“BOKUTO!!!!” A cheerful voice rang out as a short, orange haired man entered the room with a large box full of games. “Kenma, why didn’t you tell me Bokuto was here?!”  
  
“He’s just arrived, Shouyo."  
  
Bokuto rushed over to grab the box and set it down for him. “We’re here to make sure you guys are going to join the festival at the end of the month, Hinata.”  
  
“There’s going to be a festival at the end of the month????” the shorter man tilted his head with a confused expression on his face. “Kenma, did you know there was going to be a festival?”   
  
Kenma slouched further in their chair and tried to become more engrossed in their game so they could avoid the stares directed at them.  
  
“Yes, there is, Hinata. We were trying to get Kenma to agree to run a booth. We thought it might be fun if you two ran a game demo or something together.” Kuroo explained.  
  
“Ooooooooooooooooooooh!!!!!!” Hinata’s face seemed to literally sparkle with excitement. “That is so cool!!! We can totally run a fun booth like that!!!! Right, Kenma!?!?!”  
  
Kenma let out a small groan and Kuroo patted them on the head. “We’ll make sure it’s big enough for the both of you.”  
  
Having forgotten his box of games to restock, Hinata started excitedly pulling out some games that would be easy to demo. “Maybe we can bring some of these card games we started stocking. Oh, and I should totally bring a few new comics. This is going to be so cool!!!!”  
  
Akaashi just shook his head as both Bokuto and Kuroo came back to his side. “Kenma may not forgive you for this one.”  
  
“They’ll get over it eventually,” Kuroo smiled. “Anyway, it’ll be good for them to get some more exposure to people.”  
  
The trio exited the shop as an excited Hinata started dumping items into Kenma’s lap while the latter looked like a scared cat.  
  
“I’ve got a few deliveries to make before I can close for the day,” Bokuto said as they headed back towards the flower shop. “Do you two want to meet up for dinner afterwards?”  
  
“I need to get my sketch added to the wall so I can start painting this week,” Akaashi said. I probably won’t be home until later tonight.”  
  
“We’ll bring the dinner to you, ‘Kaashi, don’t you worry!” Bokuto draped an arm around the artist’s shoulders while Kuroo wrapped one around his waist.   
  


\--------

Akaashi sighed and arched his back in a stretch after finishing the final section of his sketch. He had to edit the initial sketch to simplify it as he only had about two and a half weeks until the planned festival. He was already nervous that the next two weeks were going to go by extremely quickly and knew he’d be spending every waking moment on this scaffolding. Tomorrow he’d start the initial base colors and was planning to make sure he was only working on details within a week and a half.  
  
He heard a shout from below and looked towards the ground to see Bokuto and Kuroo looking up at him. Kuroo was holding a bag of take out above his head and Bokuto was waving both arms enthusiastically. He was so excited that the only reason he didn’t hit Kuroo upside the head was because the black haired man was able to dodge at the last second. Akaashi laughed softly to himself and started to descend the scaffolding.  
  
“We brought dinner!” Bokuto exclaimed and led them over to a small picnic table. The sun was starting to set and the lights had just turned on in the playground. Kuroo passed out the containers of food and utensils while Bokuto gave him a bottle of water from across the table.  
  
“The sketch looked nice,” Kuroo said once he settled himself on the bench next to Akaashi.  
  
“There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done,” Akaashi sighed. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to help much with handing out fliers or setting up the booths over the next couple of weeks.” He took a sip of the water and glanced scrutinizingly over at his sketch.  
  
“We’ve got everything covered,” Bokuto said through a mouthful of food.   
  
Kuroo shook his head at the florist’s food manners. “We’ve got posters printed out that will be hung up throughout the street and in each of the shops participating. Most of the other owners have agreed to help out and hopefully the rest will join us once they see the advertisement.” He picked up a chopstick full of rice and continued after he had swallowed, “We’ll start setting up booth areas at the end of next week so everyone can start preparing what they’ll sell.”  
  
“Were you able to contact any food trucks to stop by as well?” Akaashi asked.  
  
“Yep! We’ve got an ice cream truck coming as well for the kids,” Bokuto smiled excitedly. “It should be a big hit!”  
  
The three settled into a comfortable silence while the cicadas began to buzz. Occasionally, Kuroo would steal a piece of meat off Bokuto’s plate to try and get a rise out of him while Akaashi would simply shake his head with a fond smile. It would be a few more weeks until they could enjoy each other’s company like this. He hoped everything would proceed as planned and they’d be able to continue working together on this street for a very long time.


	4. Chapter Four

The next week and a half were over before Akaashi could blink. He yawned tiredly as he added more detail to one of the buildings in his painting. He was surprisingly ahead of schedule and would be working on the street details starting tomorrow. The painting was looking almost exactly like that image he saw when Bokuto and Kuroo stood in front of the sunset all those weeks ago. He smiled and glanced over his shoulder as the two bickered about which shops should be assigned to each of the booths they had hastily thrown together.   
  
All things considered, the set up looked rather nice and Akaashi was sure the small park would be bustling with people next weekend. On Tuesday, he’d been working with a client on their initial consultation for a new tattoo when they saw the poster behind his desk. The man spent the next 10 minutes telling him how glad he was that the shops were banding together to fight against the building of a mall. It was his favorite, small street to visit for shopping and had too much to offer for it to be demolished.  
  
“You’re sure going through a lot of trouble just to try and keep yourselves open. Are you sure putting on a festival won’t bankrupt your small shops?” asked a voice to the left of the scaffolding.  
  
Akaashi looked towards the ground to see both representatives from Date Co. watching Bokuto and Kuroo from across the park. The shorter man had his arms crossed and a small smirk on his face.   
  
“If we don’t fight against your demands, what sort of message would we be sending to our customers and the other small shopping streets and districts around the city?” Akaashi replied evenly. There was no need to draw the attention of the two men. He didn't want to start a scene if the others noticed they were spying.  
  
The man laughed lightly, “We’re a highly respected company. Even if you are able to stop the construction of the mall, the location can just as easily be moved to destroy a different street. How do you imagine those people would feel?”  
  
“I’m sure there are many open areas that are not already inhabited in other areas of the city. Why not “easily” move it there?” Akaashi retorted.  
  
“Simply put, this location is a great spot. I’m sure you’re aware since you only recently bought your store about a year ago and must have researched multiple real estate opportunities before moving here. Why fight so hard when you’ve barely built a customer base? Surely not for those two buffoons.”  
  
Akaashi knew the man was baiting him. “I’d do anything for those two buffoons,” he glanced back at Bokuto and Kuroo who had started a sword fight with the rolled up booth plans. “I’d see you out, but I’m currently busy working on my masterpiece. There’s no way the city will want to tear down my mural when it’s complete.” Akaashi turned back to his painting and made a show of adding an additional stroke of paint to the building he had been working on.  
  
“Ah, yes, the mural. We’ll look forward to seeing the big reveal the night of your festival. Good luck~,” he said tauntingly before walking away with his silent partner and holding up a hand as if to wave. The sunset that shone over their heads as they left was foreboding and nothing compared to the one he was painting.  
  
If Akaashi was as confident as the two sword fighters, he’d probably flip off the two Date Co. employees. Instead, he finished up the details on his building and started to clean up. He wrapped up his brushes in a bag so he could bring them home to rinse clean for the next day and climbed off the scaffolding.  
  
“I hope you finished planning out the booths before you decided to try and destroy the papers,” Akaashi said when he got closer.  
  
“Bokuto said he could best me in a sword fight,” Kuroo said after taking another swipe at the florist. “I’d totally win, right?”  
  
“No fair! ‘Kaashi is on my side, Kuroo!” Bokuto turned towards the artist. “You are on my side, right?” Akaashi almost melted when those puppy dog eyes were directed at him. It took every ounce of strength he had left in his exhausted body to not agree instantly. Luckily for him, Kuroo took advantage of the situation and dealt the killing blow.  
  
“HA! Thanks for your help, man” he grinned and took back the rolled up papers from the pouting Bokuto who was left rubbing his side and demanding a re-match. “Are you all done for the day, Akaashi?”  
  
The artist nodded, “It’s starting to get dark. I’m further along than I anticipated and am looking forward to a long soak in the tub. What’s your plan for the next week?”  
  
“We’ll pass out copies of the booth locations to each of the stores participating and they can start decorating and preparing all next week,” Bokuto replied. “I want to try and get a few small flower arrangements set up for each booth and will have a DIY station at my own!”  
  
“That sounds fantastic, Bokuto, and is very thoughtful of you” Akaashi praised him and left the man blushing with a large smile.  
  
Kuroo rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. “I need to get started on prep work for our booth. Tora has been a big help already, but I can’t keep expecting all my employees to work so late. I know they’re exhausted.”  
  
Akaashi nodded in agreement. “They’d do almost anything for you, Kuroo.” He yawned and stretched again. “But I think we all need to get back home and rest as much as we can.”   
  
“Yes, Mom,” Bokuto patted Akaashi on the back before the trio headed back towards their cars and Akaashi’s apartment.

\--------

It was the night before the festival and the sun had just set. Akaashi was finishing up the final touches of the painting when his cell phone rang. He set his brush down after his final stroke and answered the phone without looking at the caller ID, “Hello. How can I help you?”  
  
“Akaashi, I need your help!” Kuroo’s frantic voice came through the receiver. “Do you think you’ll be finished painting soon?”  
  
Akaashi furrowed his brow. It wasn’t very often Kuroo would call him in a panic. “I’ve just finished. Is everything all right?” He set down his brush with the others.  
  
“I sent everyone home for the night, but just realized I forgot to make the gluten free sandwiches! Is there any way you can stop by and help me build and package them for tomorrow? I can’t have just salads available. I have too many customers requesting gluten free options,” Kuroo rambled.  
  
“Calm down, Kuroo,” he said in what he hoped was a calming tone. “We’ll get them prepped. Let me put the tarp in front of the wall and clean up a bit. I’ll be there in about half an hour.”  
  
“You’re a lifesaver, Akaashi! I’m going to call Bokuto, too. He should still be in the area.” Kuroo hung up quickly and Akaashi let out a sigh. The way Kuroo was acting, he was worried something worse had happened.   
  
He laughed lightly to himself and stood up so he could cover the painting by attaching the tarp to the scaffolding. It almost felt like a miracle that he had managed to finish the painting. He collected his brushes and paints and tried to make sure everything appeared neat on the scaffolding. It would be removed at the reveal ceremony during the festival tomorrow and he didn’t want there to be any errant brushes sitting out.  
  
When he arrived at the cafe, both Kuroo and Bokuto were already working on the sandwiches. He set his bag down carefully on one of the tables and went to join them behind the counter.  
  
“We’ve still got about 50 to go,” Kuroo said apologetically. “There are gloves next to the sink that you can use once you’ve washed up.”  
  
“It’s no problem, Kuroo, you know we’re always happy to help,” Akaashi said as he washed his hands. “Did you finish all your prep, Bokuto?”  
  
“Yep, I just have to bring the flowers to the park in the morning,” He said while adding cheese to his bread. They were trying to work in bulk with sandwich halves spread across the counter. It looked like Bokuto was adding each ingredient like an assembly line and Kuroo was quickly wrapping them once they were complete."  
  
“Where can I help?” Akaashi asked after he put on his gloves.   
  
“The sandwiches are plain so if you want to add meat after Bokuto does the cheese that would be great. We’ve finished up the turkey half so these will all be ham. Customers will be able to request condiments and veggies at the booth so the prepared sandwiches don’t get soggy,” Kuroo explained and pointed before wrapping another sandwich. Once he finished wrapping the completed sandwiches, he sliced open more bread for them.  
  
They made quick work of the sandwiches, talking and laughing as they worked. Akaashi smiled to himself while the other two kept nudging each other playfully. He was happy to have met them despite the scene the two sometimes made. There was something intimate in the way they interacted and he will always be grateful that they invited him into their small bubble. He hoped they would continue to meet up regularly if Date Co. was able to build the mall here despite their efforts. While the thought made his stomach twist uncomfortably, he wanted to make sure they knew he wanted them to still be in his life. “Just in case--”  
  
“Don’t finish that sentence, Akaashi!” Bokuto interrupted him. “There’s no way we’ll fail so we shouldn’t talk like we will,” he said with a huff.  
  
“You’re thinking too much, Akaashi,” Kuroo smiled and finished wrapping the last sandwich. “We put our all into the festival and should believe that we will succeed.”  
  
Akaashi smiled and took a deep breath, “You’re right. I’m just glad we have the chance to try.”  
  
Kuroo nodded and carried his box of sandwiches back to his walk-in refrigerator/freezer. When he came back out, he glanced at the clock. “Wow, is it really that late already?”   
  
“We can order some pizza if you two want to spend the night at my apartment,” Akaashi offered. “I’d hate for you two to fall asleep at the wheel at this time of night.”  
  
“That would be great,” Kuroo smiled, relieved. “Let me see if I have a change of clothes here, otherwise I’ll wake up early and run home before set-up.” He ran back to his office.  
  
“Do you need to check your shop, Bokuto?” Akaashi asked.  
  
“Nah, I’ll just head home early in the morning,” He replied. “Thank you for putting us up.”  
  
Kuroo came back out with a small overnight back. “I’ve had to work late sometimes for large catering orders and try to be prepared,” He explained. Akaashi grabbed his bag of supplies and the three left the cafe and walked to his apartment.   
  
Once inside, they took off their shoes and he headed to the kitchen with his bag of supplies. “If one of you wants to take a bath or shower, feel free to use the bathroom. I’ll call in the pizza and clean up my brushes.”   
  
Akaashi pulled out a few menus he had saved and found a pizza place that should still be open. While he was on the phone, Bokuto joined him in the kitchen and started to rinse the paint out of his brushes.   
  
“Kuroo is going to shower first,” Bokuto said with a smile. “He’s been working in the restaurant all day and wanted to get rid of the food smell he said.”   
  
Akaashi joined him at the sink to help with the brushes. “Flowers definitely smell better,” he said. “I ordered a cheese and pepperoni so they sit better in our stomachs tonight. Hopefully that works for you.”  
  
“It’s too late to eat anything crazy,” Bokuto laughed and washed the final brush. Akaashi took them from him and placed them out to dry on a towel.   
  
“I think I have a larger set of pajama bottoms if you’d like something to sleep in. It might be a little short in the legs though,” he said with an apology. When Bokuto nodded with thanks, he headed to his room to pull out a pair for him. Kuroo was exiting the bathroom in the pajamas he had brought from his office. Akaashi looked at him in surprise from his bedroom. It wasn’t very often he saw Kuroo’s hair laying flat, but with the weight of the water it was hanging in his eyes.  
  
He sighed contentedly. “Thank you again, Akaashi. I hope you don’t mind that I used your shampoo.”  
  
“Not at all…” Akaashi said and held out the pajamas to Kuroo who entered the room to take them from him. “If you can let Bokuto know it’s his turn, I’ve got a pair of pajamas he can use.”  
  
“Sure, I’ll bring them to him now.” Kuroo left with the pajamas and it wasn’t long until Akaashi heard the shower start up again.   
  
He found a spare futon and pulled it out of the closet and laid it across the floor. He stared at it and wondered if there would be more space in the living room. He left his room to take a look, but decided either way it was going to be cramped.   
  
Kuroo was sitting on the couch scrolling through his phone and looked up when he entered. “Is everything all right?” he asked.  
  
“I’m afraid we’ll be a little cramped in our sleeping arrangements tonight, unless someone wants to sleep on the couch,” Akaashi bit his lip. “Unfortunately there’s not a bigger area for the spare futon.”  
  
“Don’t worry about it,” Kuroo waved off his anxiety, “We’ll make it work.”  
  
Akaashi sat next to him and glanced over at his phone. Kuroo adjusted so he could see what he was scrolling through. “I had Kenma tweet about the festival a few times this week,” he explained. “They’ve got like a million followers, I don’t know how they do it.”  
  
“Wow, there are a lot of people responding…” Akaashi was surprised. “I hope they all decide to come.”  
  
Bokuto came into the room in his too-small pajamas with his ankles poking out. “Hey, the shower is free,” he said with a smile. Kuroo laughed and Akaashi again stared at the fact that the other man’s hair was hanging in his face as well. “Heeey,” he said with a pout. “Don’t laugh at me, these are the special pajamas Akaashi is letting me borrow.”   
  
“I’m sorry they’re so small, Bokuto,” he apologized and stood up. “The pizza should be here soon. Let me get some money.”  
  
“We’ll handle that,” Kuroo said and set down his phone, “Go take a shower and we’ll get some plates out so everything is ready for you once you’re done.”  
  
Akaashi moved to protest, but Bokuto pushed him towards the bathroom. “It’s the least we can do for you.” He just sighed and continued towards the bathroom to start his shower.   
  
He closed his eyes and tried to relax while the warm water ran down his aching body. He had never invited Bokuto and Kuroo to spend the night and it was throwing him off. The domestic intimacy of the situation was almost too much to handle after the exhausting month that they’d been through. He wasn’t clueless and knew the two liked to flirt with him, but had never really considered commenting on it or pushing to ask if they were looking for something more. He’d seen Kuroo tease other people similarly and Bokuto was nice to everyone, but he felt like they’d become closer while planning the festival.   
  
Even if they didn’t get a chance to relax with one another the past few weeks, they were always checking in on each other. He’d seen Bokuto knocking on his store’s window with a smile countless times while running deliveries and Kuroo was always bringing him snacks while he was working late on the mural. The occasional touches sent shivers down his spine when he thought of them and he really hoped he wasn’t reading too much into this.   
  
Tomorrow, he had planned to confront them in his own way at the festival. Despite what may happen with Date Co., he would make sure the two men stayed in his life. Whether they stayed as friends or more, he would leave it up to them by the end of the evening.  
  
Nodding with resolve, Akaashi turned off the shower and towelled himself dry. He could smell the pizza when he exited the bathroom and got dressed quickly in his room before joining the two men.   
  
“Perfect timing!” Kuroo said as he left the kitchen with plates while Bokuto was just settling on the couch. The pizzas were placed on a small table in his living room. They would be able to watch some tv together on the couch while eating.  
  
“Thank you again for taking care of that,” he said and sat next to Bokuto on the couch.  
  
Kuroo handed out the plates and sat on Akaashi’s other side. He turned on the tv before grabbing a few slices.  
  
The trio enjoyed a late night comedy sketch while eating, but it wasn’t too long after they had finished their pizza that they drifted off. It wasn’t clear who fell asleep first, but all three were too tired and comfortable to move.


	5. Chapter Five

An alarm sounded loudly in the morning, causing Akaashi to groan in his sleep. It couldn’t be time to get up already. He tried to snuggle closer into his pillow, only to realize he was not leaning against a pillow. His eyes flew open and he sat up quickly on alert, accidentally knocking heads with Bokuto who let out a small yelp of pain.   
  
“Can you stop moving?” came the muffled voice of Kuroo who had somehow managed to grab one of the couch pillows and had his head in Akaashi’s lap with the pillow being crushed around his face. “And turn off that ridiculous alarm,” he complained.  
  
“Sorry, sorry, I’m getting it now!” Bokuto got up and stumbled across the room to shut off his alarm and check the time. “It’s 6 am,” He said with a stretch and ran his hand through his hair. “I need to go home and change before I can set up.”  
  
“We’ll see you later then,” Kuroo said as he dropped the pillow only to wrap his arms around Akaashi’s waist. Akaashi blushed while Bokuto shouted a quick “no fair!” and went to the bathroom to change into his clothes from yesterday.  
  
“Uhm..Kuroo…” Akaashi started. Any doubts about Kuroo’s true feelings immediately left him.  
  
“Shhhhhh, just five more minutes,” Kuroo mumbled before falling back asleep. Akaashi very carefully pried himself free of the black haired man and went to start a pot of coffee in the kitchen while he tried to calm himself down. He didn’t remember falling asleep on the couch last night.  
  
Bokuto came into the kitchen just as the coffee was finishing. “I put your pajamas in the hamper in the bathroom,” he said while Akaashi poured him some coffee in a travel mug. “Thank you again for letting me spend the night.”   
  
“Any time,” Akaashi said and walked him to the door. “We’ll see you later.”  
  
“Wake up Kuroo soon or he’ll just keep sleeping,” he said with a knowing smile and held up the cup in thanks before he was on his way.  
  
Akaashi glanced at the couch where Kuroo was still sleeping. He had shifted so he was laying across the entirety of the couch now with his hair sticking up like usual. Akaashi shook his head and went to start some eggs. At least they could eat before they left to get set up for the day.  
  
The festival officially started at 10 AM, but they anticipated people would start showing up before that time.  
  
Once breakfast was finished, he placed two plates and two cups of coffee on the table and went to wake up Kuroo. He shook him lightly by the shoulder and then more forcefully when there was no response from the man.   
  
Kuroo groaned and slowly opened his eyes. “What time is it?” he asked as he pushed himself back up.  
  
“It’s about 7,” Akaashi replied. “Bokuto left to get changed. I made some breakfast if you want to eat before we head out.”  
  
Kuroo smiled and thanked him before standing up and stretching. They ate quickly and Kuroo offered to do the dishes while Akaashi got dressed.  
  
Once they were out the door, Akaashi opened the door to his tattoo parlor to start bringing his supplies to his booth while Kuroo continued down the street towards his cafe.

\--------

When Akaashi arrived with his box of supplies, the small park was already busy with vendors and shop owners setting up. The end of the street was filled with food trucks and a small roped fence was keeping the few curious onlookers away from the area until they planned to open.   
  
His booth was right next to the wall with his mural. Kuroo took the liberty of making a big sign and pinning it to the edge that said “Guest of Honor.” He insisted when Akaashi complained, explaining to him that everyone needed to know he painted the mural. Akaashi shook his head while reminiscing and setting out his face paints. He had decided to offer a few simple designs as face or body paint tattoos as well as setting up consultation meetings if anyone was interested in a more permanent tattoo. He put together a small easel to hold his canvas showing the face paint designs and set up two chairs in front of the booth to the left. He was offering a few small flowers along with some simple animals and tribal looking art for the body paint.  
  
He hung a board with pricing off the front of his booth and stepped back to make sure he didn’t miss anything. He almost lost his footing when an arm slung itself around his shoulders. A small bouquet of flowers came into his vision and the air was filled with a calming aroma.  
  
“For your booth!” Bokuto said too loudly in his ear. “Everyone gets a small bouquet. It’s also a free advertisement for me,” he laughed.  
  
“Thank you, Bokuto,” Akaashi said and carefully took the small vase from the man.   
  
“Yours is a little bigger, don’t tell anyone,” was whispered in his ear before Bokuto removed his arm. “The set up looks great! I’m offering flower crowns and build-your-own bouquets!”  
  
“I’m sure that will go over very well,” the artist smiled as he positioned the flowers next to where he would be standing behind his booth unless painting. He wanted to selfishly appreciate the flowers instead of leaving them as just an advertisement for his friend (despite the arrangement sitting on his desk back at the shop). “How is Kuroo handling his set up?”  
  
“He was busy running around when I saw him,” Bokuto said. “But I think he’ll manage to be ready once we open to the public. You have to promise to stop by my booth later, okay?”  
  
Akaashi agreed and waved as Bokuto pulled a cart full of flowers to the booth across the way. He watched for a moment as the middle aged woman thanked him profusely and gave him a small piece of her homemade fudge before he was on his way.  
  
Akaashi pulled out his phone to check the time. There was about 10 more minutes before the rope fence was removed and the small crowd was allowed into the park. He adjusted the flowers one more time and breathed in the scent before setting himself up inside his booth and waiting.

\--------

After a few hours into the festival, Akaashi’s line had finally died down. More people had decided to attend the event than he had imagined and it was already looking to be a huge success. He set down his paintbrush and rubbed his eyes while thinking about taking a small break for lunch. In just a few short hours they would be revealing the finished mural and he didn’t want to potentially give a small speech on an empty stomach.  
  
As though someone was listening to his inner monologue a small package was carefully placed in his lap. Akaashi opened his eyes to see a food container with some of Kuroo’s sandwiches as well as various sweets from the local shop owners. He looked up to see the blacked haired man opposite him and taking a bite of his own sandwich.  
  
“I figured you would be working too hard to remember to take a break,” Kuroo said after swallowing.   
  
“I could say the same for you,” Akaashi replied and graciously opened the container to start eating his own sandwich. “Last I heard from Bokuto, you were running around this morning. Have you had a lot of people stop by?”  
  
Kuroo laughed quietly (a great feat, in Akaashi’s opinion), “We’ve been busy the whole time. Tora finally kicked me out and told me to take a break once everyone else had had a chance to eat.” He smiled and looked out over the crowd. “I’m so glad we were able to pull this together. Everyone is really enjoying themselves.”  
  
“It’s all thanks to you and Bokuto,” Akaashi said softly. “None of this would have been possible if you hadn’t worked as hard as you did.”  
  
“Oh, stop, you’re making me blush~” Kuroo smirked and stole a piece of candy from Akaashi’s plate before resting his arm on the chair and laying his head back. “You’re a big help, too, you know. I’m excited to see the finished mural.”  
  
Akaashi picked up his paintbrush and started painting a small design on the larger man’s forearm, taking an occasional break from doodling to take a bite of his sandwich.  
  
Kuroo stayed relaxed and let him paint. “You know, for a tattoo artist you don’t have that many tattoos.”   
  
“I have a few,” Akaashi replied and grabbed a different color brush.   
  
“Well, yeah, I’ve seen the tiny one on your ankle, but don’t people in your profession usually have full sleeves and tattoos all over their body?”  
  
“I have a large owl on my back,” he said. “It’s how I came up with the name of my shop.”  
  
“Sowl Ink,” the name of his shop rolled off Kuroo’s tongue fondly. “It’s a good name.”  
  
He sat up again carefully so as not to disturb Akaashi’s doodling. “What are you drawing?”  
  
“A paisley design.”   
  
“With little hearts?”  
  
“With little hearts.”  
  
“...Bokuto is going to be so jealous~.”  
  
Akaashi sighed, “Bokuto has a permanent tattoo on his arm that we designed together. Maybe you should let me add some real ink to your body.”  
  
“You want to ink up this body, eh, Akaashi?” Kuroo laughed loudly, making a few passerbys stare.  
  
“It is my job,” Akaashi replied evenly and fought back the urge to grin while he put the paintbrush away. “All finished.”  
  
Kuroo blew on his painted arm to try and make it dry faster while he stood up. “Thanks for the tatt. I’ll think about letting you do a permanent one sometime, but only if you promise to show me yours.”  
  
“I’m sure there will be plenty of time for that later,” Akaashi teased lightly causing the other man to blush. “I’ll see you soon for the ceremony,” he said before selecting a small piece of candy to eat.  
  
“Right! I’ll see you then!” Kuroo waved with a smile and headed back towards his booth.

\--------

Akaashi shifted his feet nervously while he stood towards the edge of the tarp covering his painting. A small crowd was starting to gather near the wall and he was waiting for Bokuto and Kuroo to arrive so they could reveal the mural. He glanced at his watch to check the time and sighed. They only had about 5 more minutes before they had scheduled the small ceremony. While he was sure he would need to give some sort of speech, he wasn’t very keen on being the center of attention for very long.  
  
“It seems you managed to pull something together with your ragtag crew,” said a voice to his right.  
  
Akaashi turned to see the two Date Co. representatives standing next to him. “So it would appear,” he replied, calmly. “Imagine how many other large chains we could stop from destroying small businesses simply by working together.”  
  
“You can’t fix everything by planning a large scale event. It won’t work in your favor every time,” the brown haired man said with a frown.  
  
“Does that mean we stopped you from building the mall?” Bokuto said hopefully as he and Kuroo arrived.  
  
“We’ll see about that,” Futakuchi narrowed his eyes before leading his co-worker away to mix in with the crowd.  
  
“Sorry to keep you waiting!” Kuroo said after making sure they were alone again. “This one nearly had a melt down.” Kuroo pointed at Bokuto over his shoulder.  
  
“Hey! I did not…” Bokuto complained as he held his hands behind his back. He inched closer to Kuroo while trying to hide whatever he was holding.  
  
“Bokuto...what are you---”  
  
“Good evening, everyone!!!” Kuroo raised his voice over the crowd, getting their attention.   
  
“I told him we should have brought a megaphone,” Bokuto mumbled.   
  
Kuroo ignored him and continued his speech. “We’re so glad you could make it to the first ever San Boulevard Summer Festival!” The crowd clapped as Kuroo raised his fist in the air. “First of all, we want to thank all the small businesses, food trucks, and outside vendors who decided to join us by setting up a booth.”  
  
“Only because you made us!” Came a voice from the crowd that sounded suspiciously like Tsukishima. Everyone laughed good naturedly.  
  
“Hey! You were totally excited about this!” Kuroo yelled out into the crowd.  
  
“Second, we want to thank everyone for coming to shop!” Bokuto said while Akaashi put a hand on Kuroo’s shoulder to stop him from getting out of hand. “I hope you all had fun making bouquets at my booth! There are plenty more flowers to go around!” He laughed loudly and put his hand on his hips. Akaashi was not surprised that Bokuto was continuing to advertise himself while thanking their customers. He sighed and stepped in front of the other two men to try and salvage the situation.  
  
He looked over the crowd, spotting the tall Date Co. employees at the back and took a deep breath. “To thank you all for coming, we’ve dedicated a new art piece to this park.”   
  
He gestured for Bokuto and Kuroo to remove the tarp. They quickly climbed the scaffolding so they could unveil the mural.  
  
Akaashi’s painting showed the boulevard at sunset just like he saw it the day Bokuto and Kuroo brought him to the scaffolding they had rented for him to use while painting. The gentle gold light spread across the tops of each shop, with pink and purple hues in the sky. There were small figures spread across the street either as shop owners outside their stores or a mother and child heading home after a long day of shopping. At the end of the street, you could see the light of the “open” sign over Kuroo’s restaurant that looked as welcoming as it did in real life.   
  
“I decided to paint everything that I love about our small boulevard,” Akaashi continued and walked to the corner of the painting and signed and dated the wall. “And I hope you continue to support us through many years. Please enjoy the festival tonight and look forward to many more to come!”  
  
The crowd cheered excitedly while Bokuto and Kuroo smiled with pride in their eyes. Akaashi took another calming breath and watched the Date Co. team turn to walk away.   
  
As everyone started to disperse, a few people came over to shake the artist’s hand. He smiled kindly and gave his thanks explaining a few sections of his painting if they asked. A few of the younger kids told him they wanted to stop by his booth for a “tattoo” and he promised he would return there shortly before the parents ushered them away.  
  
Bokuto and Kuroo came over once he was alone and gave him another bouquet. “You gave me one for my booth earlier, Bokuto,” he said, carefully taking the flowers in his hands.  
  
“This one is just for you and not an advertisement for myself,” Bokuto explained with a big smile.  
  
“You did a great job on the painting, Akaashi,” Kuroo inspected it a bit closer. “I can see my cafe and Bo’s flower shop! And...hey is that...us?” he asked, pointing towards the edge of the painting near the entrance of the park where two figures were standing. The two were waving and had very distinctive hair styles.  
  
“Well, I did say I painted everything I love about this street,” Akaashi stated matter of factly.  
  
Kuroo choked and Bokuto turned his head to stare at him. “Did you just...say you loved us?”  
  
Akaashi pulled his bouquet closer to smell the flowers. “If you didn’t hear it the first time, I’m not going to say it again,” he teased.  
  
“You...you can’t just ughhhh” Kuroo ran his fingers through his hair. “We had a bet going, Akaashi!”  
  
“That’s right! Kuroo and I agreed on no dating until you confessed! And whoever you confessed to first got to pick the date spot!” Bokuto explained while waving his arms around (very similarly to the painting version of himself). “How are we going to start dating now?” he moaned.  
  
Akaashi stared at the two of them for a moment before he started to laugh. Of course they would plan something ridiculous like that.  
  
“This is no time to be laughing, ‘Kaashi!!”  
  
The artist wiped away a tear from his eye and let out one more small chuckle. “I suppose I win by default then? Since I confessed to both of you at the same time?”  
  
“Sounds good to me,” Kuroo said, having finally calmed down from his initial shock. “What do you say, Bo?”  
  
Bokuto smiled and threw an arm around Akaashi’s shoulders. “Just let us know when you pick, Akaashi!!”  
  
“Right now then,” he said, taking Kuroo’s hand and leaning closer to Bokuto. “I haven’t had a chance to walk around the different booths. We’ve got a little time to ourselves, right?”  
  
Kuroo smiled and squeezed his hand while Bokuto hooted excitedly and waved his free arm over his head. “Hey hey hey!~ I’m going on a date with my boyfriends!!!”   
  
Akaashi smiled. Yes, this evening turned out much better than he could have ever hoped for.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!!! :D


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